Stormont Minister drops Irish Language Act - News reports

Stormont Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Edwin Poots (DUP) announces there will be no Irish Language Act. News reports from BBC (lunchtime and evening), UTV and TG4. 16.10.07

00:00 BBC Lunchtime
01:55 UTV
03:57 BBC Evening
07:14 TG4

Stormont Live: http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=96xC0jzULhE

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• irish
• language
• gaeilge
• gaelic
• acht
• cearta
• rights
• protest

[DativeCase]

What does "Broken Irish is better than clever English" mean?

[cobrolchain2]

It was a motto of the Gaelic revival for learners of Irish who weren't confident about their ability to speak the language. It was a way of encouraging to use what they had, even if they made mistakes.

[DativeCase]

Oh I get it. There's a similar attitude here in Wales that it's better to speak Welsh badly than not to speak it at all.

So have there been any Irish language acts at all then? Because in Wales we've had quite a few Welsh language acts now.

[cobrolchain2]

There's an Official Languages Act in the South for Irish. There's nothing in the North though, aside from the like of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Language, which the London government has made clear it will ignore if it contradicts any 'native' law.

[kealyc]

Irish language teaching in NI belongs in the private sector. NI should not be investing public money in it, it should be investing public money in jobs, infrastructure, and tax cuts to companies and taxpayers over the next years. That comes first. Jobs takes people's minds off politics.

And I am an Irish catholic.

[cobrolchain2]

Irish speakers contribute to the public purse, and there's no sane argument against investing in education.

[drakovampire]

I live in America and my wife and I have been learning Irish language, but I still can not spell Irish words yet. I can speak a little of it though. I believe that the Brits should go back to their homes and leave Ireland to the Irish. My grandfather was Irish, but he moved here to America for reasons I do not know. He died before I was born. My heart and soul belongs to Ireland.

[Seamus616]

Is mór an náire é an rud seo. Tá gá leis Acht na Gaeilge, agus bhí sé de dhualgas ar Poots!

[teachill]

BIGOT POOTS.

[musicman45805]

I am an American of Irish descent learning Irish. I will return to the land of my ancestors and help in the rebirth of Irish as the widely spoken language it should be. A beautiful language and an integral part of a beautiful culture. Support the language.

[monogirl3]

it's the same old rubbish from them lot. anything thats deemed a political threat is suppressed. seige mentality strikes again. their fear will not let them embrace anything outside their own ideology even if there is a democratic mandate for it.

i hate our segregated education system but i'm glad i went to a catholic school who valued the language and got a chance explore it. if it were up to this lot all forms of irish cultural expression would be outlawed like the "good old days".

[Glgebhrste]

Dá mbíodh an sloinne "Poots" agam, is maith an seans go rachainn-se as mo mheabhair chomh maith! agus go ndéanfainn rudaí craiceáilte agus seafóideach mar sin freisin.  Tá cosúlacht aige leis an torann a dhéanann an ulchabhán reilige, "POOOOOTS POOOOOOTS, POOOOOOTS". .... an tAire bocht!!! Is ara thuismitheoirí atá an cáipéis mar is gnách dar liomsa.

[firebird162]

wow what a tragedy. i mean, language i guess could be considered the backbone of culture. im sorry the gentleman didnt see that.

by the way, isnt english technically a 'foreign' language in ireland (sorry, im american)?

[MrGnaes]

this is absolutely ridiculous. northern IRELAND, i stress ireland, cant have an irish language act passed? perhaps edwin poots sees no need for an irish language act because he is biased towards unionist interests? maybe just maybe thats it (sarcasm) rascism carried out publicly by the anglophile northern irish state